Hong Kong Palace Museum

This popular exhibition opened last December, and is currently on its second rotation of paintings, with a total of 20 new works on display until June 2 that were not shown during the initial rotation. Highlighting the works of court painters, literati artists, and other professionals throughout the Ming Dynasty, the exhibition shows the multifaceted lives and spiritual world of the people of that era. Of the 97 pieces of artistic works, 16 are grade-one national treasures, which is why these fragile paintings are being exhibited in rotating batches. This second batch shows Tang Yin’s The Trees in the Wind and Qiu Ying’s The Orchid Pavilion – these artists make up half of the Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty. The second rotation will run until June 2, and the third will start on June 5.

This major special exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum highlights the former glory of the Yuan Ming Yuan imperial garden, which was also known as the ‘Garden of All Gardens’. With artefacts such as paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, architectural models, drawings, and prints – many of which are on display in Hong Kong for the very first time – this event provides a great look into the life and artistry of the Qing court.  The garden-palace was first constructed by the Emperor Kangxi and later fully developed by his fourth son, Emperor Yongzheng, with a total of five emperors continually adding to the Yuan Ming Yuan over the course of more than a century. It was the most favoured imperial residence outside of the Forbidden City and boasted spectacular landscaping, scenery, and architecture. The Yuan Ming Yuan was sadly looted and destroyed during the Second Opium War, but this exhibition aims to transport visitors back to the height of its glory through five thematic sections on its overall layout, the seasonal festivities that were celebrated, its landscaping design, imperial family life within the grounds, and its eventual destruction. The displays will also be complemented by documentary screenings of The Lei Family, who were the Qing dynasty royal architects over several generations and had worked on the Yuan Ming Yuan. Standard tickets cost $150 and will also grant access to other thematic exhibitions in the Hong Kong Palace Museum, while a special combo ticket costi